


Hold Me Tight

by emmaazhou



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Bottom Harry, Childhood Friends, Drinking, Drunk Sex, Drunkenness, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Morning After, Radio host!Harry, Reunion Sex, Reunions, Smut, Top Louis, im sorry the smut sucks first time...., journalist!Louis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-14
Updated: 2016-01-14
Packaged: 2018-05-13 23:01:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5720233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emmaazhou/pseuds/emmaazhou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis woke up alone with the sun shining into his room the next day. He tried to shield his eyes from the horrid that is the sun, but failed. It was fucking everywhere. Then, suddenly he shot up from the bed in realization. Fuck. He slept with his childhood friend yesterday. Someone who he hasn’t seen for thirteen years. He took a pillow from his bed and buried his face in it to scream a little. </p><p>The one where Louis and Harry haven't seen each other since they were fourteen and meet in a bar. (And let's just say that puberty changes your body and also your opinion on a certain curly headed boy that used to be your very best friend)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hold Me Tight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [toothbrushstyles (tiesthatbind)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tiesthatbind/gifts).



> I really loved your prompts, and I chose this one so I hope you like it! xx (Shout out to my amazing beta/britpicker, you know who you are)

Louis Tomlinson closed the door to his apartment and walked a few feet to his best mate Zayn’s apartment. As always, it was open. Unlike Louis’ apartment, which was messy and unorganized, Zayn’s was completely clear and spacious. And that’s because today was the last day Zayn was going to be living there before he moved back to Doncaster, where the two grew up together. 

Louis and Zayn moved out of their home town to London ten years ago and they’ve both found what they wanted to do. After going to uni together, they had found an opening for two journalists on the Sunday Times and took the job. Now Louis makes enough to get him a park view flat, and doesn’t even have to leave the place for work. 

But turns out Zayn’s teaching dream was too big to give up, and Zayn decided to go back. If it were up to Louis, he would’ve rented out Zayn’s place so he wouldn’t have to live next to some stranger, but just his flat itself cost a pretty penny, and Louis wasn’t going to pay double when he could spend it doing something else.

Louis sat down on the floor of what used to be Zayn’s living room (since there were no chairs or anything) and waited for him. They were going to celebrate Zayn leaving by going out, getting wasted and hopefully each take someone home.

 

 

*****

 

 

The club was dark, and Harry was so, so drunk. It was his and Niall’s first monthly pub crawl day in London and Niall was nowhere to be seen. In fact, Harry’s pretty sure that the he disappeared the second they came in. Knowing Niall, he was probably going to reappear with swollen lips and unzipped pants. 

Harry and Niall have known each other since they were fifteen, when Harry moved from Doncaster to Cheshire because of his step-dad’s job. And now thirteen years later, they work at Radio 2 together as hosts for rush hour. 

From the corner of his eye, Harry spots a man sitting at the bar, who seemed very, very familiar. It didn’t matter how drunk he was. He could recognize this man from the other side of the world. It was Louis Tomlinson, his childhood friend.

“Louis?” Harry whispered when he walked over to his seat. Louis turned around to look at him, and he were quiet for a moment before the realization hit him.

“Oh my god.” Louis exclaimed. “Harry?” He jumped out of his seat and stood in front of Harry. “I haven’t seen you in like…”

“Thirteen years, yeah.” Harry couldn’t stop staring at him, couldn’t believe how his childhood best friend turned out to look like. Puberty is a beautiful thing. “You look… Wow.” Louis was now almost a head shorter than Harry, his cheekbones sharp and his body deliciously curvy. 

Wait. Stop. Harry shook his head at the thought. He shouldn’t be lusting over Louis. It was completely inappropriate to even stare at him like that. It’s times like these Harry’s glad that Louis can’t read his mind. But from the expression on his face and the slight boner he was sporting, Louis probably has already guessed it.

“Thanks, uh, you too.” Louis said. Harry took a moment to meet Louis’ blue eyes, the ones he’s missed ever since he moved away. They were just as Harry remembered, but wiser and looking at Harry’s body the same way Harry was looking at his. “Wow, this is awkward. When did you move here?” Louis asked to clear the obvious sexual tension between them.

“Just a few weeks ago actually. My friend Niall and I recently got a job here.” Harry stared at Louis and he stared back, and Harry forgot where he was.

“Okay, Styles. All this small talk is making me sober and I will not have that.” Louis suddenly said, putting his hand on Harry’s shoulder. “Do you want to get a drink?” Harry nodded frantically and Louis sat back down on his seat. Harry sat down right next to him and pulled his chair a bit closer. He figured that it was going to get a bit awkward again, so he decided to start talking, and let the conversation flow like when they were kids.

“You know I cried the night my mum told me we were moving away.” Harry turned towards his old best friend. “And the day we actually moved away. And the day after that. And then the first day of school was… quite.”

“Yeah, same here.” Louis finished for him. “It was awful, Haz. It was always me, you and Zayn. But hey, we both turned out okay.”

“Speaking of Zayn, are you still in contact with him?” Harry asked. There were drinks on the table he didn’t remember ordering, but he took one anyway and drank.

“Yeah, he came with me today. Probably off somewhere snogging a guy’s face off.” Louis laughed and Harry smiled at that, remembering all the times before where Louis had laughed the exact same way. “Who did you come with?”

“Well it was harder to make friends in Homes Chapel than I thought, so I really only had one. His name is Niall, he’s blonde and he’s probably also doing the same. He’s straight though.” Harry beamed.

“Then what is he doing at a gay club?” Louis asked.

“Here’s a better question, Lou. What are _you_ doing in a gay club?” Harry had been comfortable with his sexuality for a very long time. He told Louis about it back when they were just thirteen and Louis had reacted… strangely. Of course he said that he’d still treat Harry the same and all that, but it felt like Louis had something more to say to him that day, and just didn’t.

“Surprise?” Louis held up his hands in a shrug. “I’m still figuring myself out, so don’t go telling Anne or anything like that.”

“Your parents don’t know?” Harry leaned in and whispered. Louis shook his head, looked up at Harry and bit his lip, the faint lights in the club shining into Louis’ eyes, making them glow. He felt himself slowly moving closer and closer to Louis, the music and surroundings slowly disappearing from his sight. All he could see was Louis, Louis, Louis. “Who knows?”

“Just you, Zayn, some neighbors and a couple guys that I took home.” Louis whispered and looked at Harry’s lips, making him lean in even more. By now, their noses were already touching. No one said anything for a while, they were just staring intensely at the other, waiting for someone to make the first move.

Suddenly, Louis made a face that said “fuck it” and their lips were touching. Harry immediately pulled Louis closer, and soon enough Louis was straddled in Harry’s lap, and they were making out. Louis’ tongue slid alongside Harry’s, and somehow their lips slotted together perfectly. 

Louis disconnected their lips and Harry started kissing and sucking his neck. “You want to finish this back at my place?” Louis whispered into Harry’s ear. Harry nodded and stood up, picking Louis up with him. He let Louis down after they paid and walked towards the exit, Harry’s hand on the small of Louis’ back, and Louis’ hand the same on his. 

As Harry waved to call a taxi, Louis stood in front of him, kissing his neck like his life depended on it. Louis’ crotch was pressed up against his, and if he was sporting a semi back in the club, it was definitely fully hard now. Harry tapped his foot impatiently, because if a taxi doesn’t come right about now, he was going to pin Louis down right there, in the middle of the street.

When one finally came, Harry sighed with relief and climbed in while being very aware that there is literally a person attached to him. He sat down in the first seat and Louis sat right on top of him. The driver asked for the address, and Louis said something quickly and he started driving. Harry thanked God that they weren’t going to his place, because there was no way he could say it with someone grinding on his crotch. 

They continued to make out until the driver announced that they arrived. Harry threw a random amount of cash in the tray while Louis dragged him out of the taxi. They stood in an elevator and Louis pressed a number on the board that Harry couldn’t see. Louis turned around to face him. 

“This isn’t weird, is it?” Louis asked.

“No. We’re drunk, anyways.” Harry answered. Louis nodded and turned around as the elevator made a _ding_ sound to signal that they were there. Harry stood quietly behind Louis while he pulled out his key and opened the door. Once they were in, Louis attached his lips to Harry’s.

It didn’t take much time for them to get to Louis’ bedroom, Harry walking backwards while Louis guided him there. They broke apart only to take off their shirts. Within seconds, they were both naked. Louis turned to grab the lube and condoms from his bedside drawer and hopped on top of Harry.

Louis opened the condom packet and quickly covered his throbbing cock. Harry watched as he opened the bottle and squeezed a bit too much into his hand. After lubing up his cock, his hand traveled down to Harry’s hole and circled the rim, dragging a moan out of him. Louis’ hand was cold and Harry’s body was on fire. Louis kissed all over Harry’s body, each kiss burning up his sensitive skin more and more. 

Louis’ finger pushed pass the tight ring of muscle and Harry’s mind blurred. He couldn’t think straight and every move he made was by instinct. He couldn’t control the loud moans coming out of him, nor the way his hips buckled when Louis’ fingers grazed over his prostate. 

And when Louis finally took his fingers out to replace it when his cock, Harry’s mind almost blacked out with pleasure. The sound of skin slapping skin and their moans filled the air around Louis’ bedroom. They came together with a shout of the other’s name. Louis collapsed onto Harry, and that’s when he passed out, with come all over his torso and a smile on his face.

 

*****

 

Louis woke up alone with the sun shining into his room the next day. He tried to shield his eyes from the horrid that is the sun, but failed. It was fucking _everywhere._ He realized that he was sleeping on his stomach which is something he never does. He lifted himself from his bed and ran a hand down his torso. His hand was sticky for some sort of reason. Louis looked up to find that his bedroom door was open, where normally it would be closed. 

_Strange._ Louis thought. _This usually only happens when I…_ He shot up from the bed in realization. Fuck. He slept with his childhood friend yesterday. Someone who he hasn’t seen for thirteen years. He took a pillow from his bed and buried his face in it to scream a little. 

How could that even happen? Back when they were kids, even when Louis kind of realized he liked boys, their relationship had been platonic. If three days ago, someone asked him if he would sleep with Harry, his answer would definitely been no. 

He always knew that he would see Harry again some day, but to sleep with him? Absolutely not. He couldn’t understand what he felt for Harry, and he was all kinds of confused. Louis put the pillow back on his bed and saw a small piece of paper sitting on the bedside table, next to the open bottle of lube.

_Sorry, I had to go. I had fun :)_

_Harry_

Under his name, there was a phone number. Louis scrambled around and found his phone, and decided to give Harry a call. As it rang, he thought about what he would say. He couldn’t exactly say, hey you, remember me? The guy who celebrated his first armpit hair with you, but also had sex with you last night?

“Hello?” Harry’s voice said from the phone.

“Hey Harry, it’s me, uh, Louis.” He mumbled as he walked around the room.

“Haha! Got you! I’m not here right now, you have my voice mail. Leave a message after the beep and I’ll call you back later!” Harry’s voicemail said. Louis rolled his eyes and canceled the voicemail. He wanted to talk to Harry and see how he is reacting to the whole thing, instead of making a fool of himself and stumbling over his own words. 

After a bit more of walking around his apartment while biting his nails, Louis made a decision. He wasn’t going to tell anyone about this. He posted many photos of himself and Zayn from the night before, so telling someone that he recently saw Harry doesn’t leave too much for the imagination. 

Besides, it could get very, very complicated. Harry could tell someone that he met Louis at a gay club, and Louis isn’t even that sure what his sexuality is. If he ignores that it ever happened, maybe Harry would too and they could just go on with everyday life without each other. 

The other option would be to call Harry, maybe meet up, and then see what happens. But Louis does not do very well with relationships. The last time a one night stand turned into a relationship, the guy had left him heartbroken. Louis couldn’t deal with having to tell his parents he had a boyfriend, and the guy stormed out. He hasn’t heard from him since. The thought of that whole period of his life made him cringe. 

 

A week or two passed, the apartment next to his vacant after the day of the Harry Incident. Louis wandered around his apartment like a zombie most of the time, with only Netflix and his right hand to keep him company. It really wasn’t that bad, considering it was usually like that anyways, with the addition of Zayn. 

One Wednesday morning, Louis was awakened by the thumping sounds and heavy footsteps outside his apartment. It was definitely strange, since most people took the elevator and no one makes this much noise this early. He got up in only his pants and peaked out his door. There were three men carrying furniture what looked like sound equipment into Zayn’s old apartment. 

“Excuse me?” Louis tapped one of the guy’s shoulder. “What’s going on?”

“Someone’s moving in.” The guy said as he disappeared into the apartment carrying one end of a couch.

“Who?” Louis shouted after him, hoping to get a less vague answer.

“Some blonde bloke. I think his name was Neil.” He and another guy lowered the couch down and came out again to get the smaller furniture waiting in the elevator.

“What does he look like?” Louis followed after them, his toes cold from the lack of shoes or socks. “What does he do for a living?”

“I don’t know man, we’re just in charge of moving his stuff in.” He sighed.

“I think he’s in radio. His voice sounds really familiar.” One of the other guys said. Louis tensed up at that slightly, thanked them and closed the door to his apartment.

 

For the next two days, more and more things were being moved into Zayn’s apartment. Louis watched through the peephole to try and estimate what kind of guy he was going to have to put up with at some point. 

The furniture was sleek and monochromatic with the occasional rustic flea market piece marked “fragile” in neat, red letters. 

On Saturday, Louis made a trip to the Tesco down the street to buy some groceries. He hadn’t seen any of the men from before carrying any more things up to the apartment, so he decided to check back later to see if the mystery radio guy had arrived. 

Louis took the stairs two at a time to the second floor, when his friend Liam stopped him. “Hey Lou!” Liam greeted as he closed the door to his apartment and locked it. 

“Hey Liam.” Louis smiled. Liam was the only other person he was truly friends with in this building, and the only person who welcomed him and Zayn when they moved in five years ago. He was the same age as them, but he skipped a year when he was younger and graduated earlier. 

“I haven’t seen you in like two weeks. You okay?” Liam walked a bit closer, his face full of concern. A knock on a door caused both of them to suddenly look around, trying to figure out where the sound was coming from. “Sounds like someone is knocking on your door.” Liam nudged Louis lightly.

“Yeah.” Louis walked around with his eyes still at the ceiling. “I’ll catch up with you later Li. I gotta go.” They parted ways and Louis climbed the stairs up to the third floor, where he lived.

The first thing he saw was a rack of shirts and coats in clothing bags through the open door of Zayn’s old apartment. On the right was the elevator, which had half a dozen boxes in front of it. He turned left to the door of his apartment, and standing in front of it knocking on the door was a tall man with curly hair up to his shoulders. The man turned when he heard Louis’s footsteps, and both their eyes widened.

“Harry?” Louis whispered in disbelief.

“Wait, you live _here_?” Harry said. He was holding a small container of cookies in one hand, which dropped down to his side. 

“What do you mean? You were here two weeks ago.” Louis put his grocery bags to the side and walked up to his childhood best friend.

“My friend Niall had to pick me up. By the time I woke up I was too hung over to go home by myself.” Harry explained. “I guess Niall saw that there was an apartment empty and looked into it. I had no idea it was right next to yours.”

“I thought you had a place in London.” Louis tilted his head.

“No, Niall has a place. I crashed on his couch for quite a while, until this place came up.” Harry opened up the container of cookies and took one out. “Do you want one? I brought these for my new neighbors anyway.” Louis nodded and took the one Harry offered. Something about the cookie was very familiar.

“We used to make these when we were kids.” Louis remembered, holding up the cookie.

“No, Lou. I used to make them. You used to eat the batter and throw flour at me.” Harry smiled, his dimples showing. Louis looked down at his feet, unable to wipe the stupid grin off his face at the memory. 

“Yeah, I remember.” They laughed lightly, and silence fell between them. But somehow, the awkwardness from their first meeting was gone.

After a long trip down memory lane, Louis went back to his own apartment with a smile on his face. He grabbed a bowl of crisps and sat on his couch with a posture that he is definitely going to regret tomorrow morning. He passed time by watching whatever was on the telly and totally not trying to hear what was going on in the apartment next door. 

It sounded like Harry was moving around a whole lot of things, even though as Louis remembered, all the furniture had already been moved in. Suddenly, there were a series of crashes, followed by a loud, muffled “ _fuck”_ from the other side of the wall. 

Louis straightened up from his position and debated whether or not he should go over there to see if Harry was okay. But then he remembered that Harry wasn’t twelve anymore, and he could probably take care of himself. 

A long ten minutes later, there was a knock on Louis’ door. Louis shut the television and scrambled up to get it, hoping that it was who he wished was on the other side. Harry stood there with an overnight bag over his shoulder and a small pout on his face.

“I heard a crash, what’s wrong?” Louis asked immediately.

“I didn’t like the way my furniture looked so I tried to change it.. But I forgot about the radio equipment and it all got fucked up.” Harry sighed. 

“What do you need radio equipment for?” Louis swung the arm holding onto his door back and forth.

“I work at Radio 2 but getting out at rush hour is too risky, so I decided to work from home.” Harry smiled. “Could I crash at your place tonight? It’s a complete mess over there, I probably need to call someone.” 

“Yea, of course.” Louis moved to the side to let Harry in. Harry set his bag down by Louis’ couch while Louis left to grab a blanket and a pillow. By then it was quite late, and Louis was tired enough to just let Harry do whatever he pleases in his living room. Louis jumped into his bed and stayed there, not bothering to change any of his clothes.

After a few minutes the apartment was quiet. But before Louis could fall asleep, he felt something weigh down a part of his bed, climbing in to his bed in front of him. Louis muffled what sounded like a question to Harry’s curls as he settled into Louis’ bed.

“I’m tired of sleeping alone. Please?” Harry whispered. Louis simply draped his arm around Harry’s long body, the memories of from childhood flooding back into his mind.

“Remember?” Harry whispered again. Louis nodded and nuzzled his body into Harry’s. It was then he realized that he left the bags of food he bought outside in front of his and Harry’s apartments. Groceries can wait. 

 

The next two weeks passed, Harry casually sleeping over in Louis’ arms, and Louis not minding at all. It was nice to finally have someone semi-permanent to hold. Harry would come back home telling Louis about the horrible day he had, and how he wanted to be left alone, but Louis would still feel the curls tangled up in his face that night. 

Harry started to put on music throughout the day to block out the sound of the workers fixing the expensive, broken equipment. He was always nodding along to whatever was playing, while Louis was constantly looking over at Harry for an explanation for the strange lyrics from the songs played. They would play fifa after work hours and Harry would try to cover Louis’ eyes so he could beat him, but just like old times, Louis would let him win after a while. 

Being with each other was easier than it had ever been, because they missed thirteen years. Thirteen years of experiences and jokes to tell, thirteen years of struggles and bad dates. They could talk for hours and hours, and sleep together until noon. 

 

 

One night, Harry came back from work holding a box of cookies in his hand. They watched a cheesy movie while eating them, constantly mocking the bad acting and mistakes.

“You know before that night, I didn’t think that I would ever see you again.” Harry confessed. 

“Why not?” Louis turned to face Harry. “My family still lives in Donny. You could’ve visited.”

“I don’t know. I just thought you would much rather spend time with people who knew you after puberty hit, like your girlfriend, or now that I know, boyfriend.”

“Thats bullshit Harry.” Louis said. “We were best mates since birth, of course I want to spend time with you.” 

“I guess the thought of searching you up on Facebook just never came up.” Harry turned back to the movie and grabbed a cookie from the box. “But I guess taking the last cookie wouldn’t hurt.” Louis’ head snapped up to Harry, who was now half way across the living room, holding the last cookie in his hand.

“You little _shit!”_ Louis said as he pushed himself up from his couch to chase Harry around his apartment. Somehow Harry’s growth spurt made him much faster than Louis at running, but not any less clumsy. 

When Harry accidentally tripped on a chair, Louis took the chance to jump onto Harry’s back. Harry quickly popped the cookie in his mouth and started to chew while spinning Louis all around the room. 

Louis leaned forward and pushed Harry down onto the couch, with him landing on top of Harry. Harry turned his body around so he would be lying on his back, and the sudden movement startled Louis, making him fall from his sitting position. Their noses were touching and they were close enough to see each other in the other person’s widened pupils. 

Louis debated what to do next while the two of them were breathing heavily in each other’s space. Before Louis could do anything, Harry’s ringtone sounded around the living room, breaking the silence. Harry quickly reached to the coffee table and answered the call.

“Hello?” Harry said breathlessly. They were still in the same position, except for Louis’ head, which was resting on Harry’s chest. “Yes. Oh, really?” The person on the other line was clearly telling Harry something, and Harry wasn’t given any kind of a heads up.

“Already?” Harry’s voice echoed across the apartment. Louis propped his head up with his elbow and waited for Harry to finish his conversation. “Oh. Thank you.” Harry’s face turned from confused to sad all of a sudden, so fast that it was worrying Louis.

“What happened?” Louis lied back down on Harry’s chest, hoping that whatever news Harry had just heard wasn’t too bad.

“My apartment was ready yesterday and I have to move back. Otherwise my boss will fire me.” Harry said. “I don’t really have a choice, I can’t go to the studio for work anymore.”

“Oh.” Louis quickly stood from his position on top of Harry on the couch. “That’s great Harry. You get to go back to your apartment!” The enthusiasm that is supposed to come with that sentence didn’t, and Louis just sounded sad. “Now you can sleep on your own bed, no need to crash at mine anymore.” Harry’s face fell even more, and Louis wasn’t sure why. Harry disappeared into the bathroom and didn’t come out for a long time.

So when Harry climbed into Louis’ bed that night a little later and hesitant than usual, Louis held on tighter as if maybe if he didn’t let Harry go, he wouldn’t have to anymore.

 

Louis was sat in Liam’s apartment one day with a beer in one hand and the remote to Liam’s tv in the other. Harry had invited him out for tea at the cafe down the road earlier but Louis had to decline because he agreed to Lads Night with Liam. Harry didn’t seem too disappointed so Louis didn’t care that much at the time. Right now, there wasn’t anything good on the telly and they were both too lazy to do anything productive. Louis’ mind wandered, and he thought about what he might be doing if he was with Harry at this very moment.

They would walk down the stairs in the building because Harry refuses to lose any exercise he could get. Then they would laugh about something while walking into the cafe, probably being too loud for the quiet space and end up causing people to glare. Harry would order a scone and Louis would order a muffin, but then they would steal bites from each other’s pastry before they just decide to share them. Louis would drink too fast and the tea would burn his tongue, and Harry would laugh with his dimples all out, making Louis laugh too. They would talk about the most random things continue like this until the pastries are just crumbs and the tea has gone cold. 

“Hey, what’s with you today?” Liam’s question broke Louis away from his thoughts, and he straightened up from his seat to look at his friend.

“Oh, nothing.” Louis shook his head. “Just a little tired and a little bored. But not by you. Just today isn’t my day I guess.” He really wasn’t paying attention to what he was saying, and Liam stared at him, clearly confused.

“Okay, something clearly is up.” Liam scooted closer to Louis. “I’ve known you for ten years Louis William Tomlinson and Lads Night has never been this quiet with you. C’mon, what’s up?”

“Harry asked me to go have tea with him earlier but I said no because we planned this already.” Louis said. “I dunno, I just kinda want to go.”

“Oh that’s completely fine!” Liam exclaimed. “You can go! I would never hold you back from your boyfriend, you know me.”

Louis scrunched up his face at the mention of ‘boyfriend’. “What do you mean? We’re not dating.” Louis said.

“Oh, really? Because it just seemed like that.” Liam explained. “And from the times that I’ve hung out with the two of you, which wasn’t that many times but still you two act like a couple.”

“I don’t like Harry.” Louis murmured to himself. “He’s my childhood friend. I’ve known him since birth. Why would I like him?”

“I’m sorry okay? I guess I just assumed because that’s how you used to look at your other boyfriends, except this time you seem more sincere.” Liam said. 

“I don’t like Harry.” Louis repeated. “I don’t _like_ Harry.” Liam was quiet while a million things were going on in Louis’ head.

“I don’t like Harry, Liam!” Louis suddenly stood from his position on the couch. “Why would I like Harry? He has curly hair! And green eyes, and he smells like vanilla and fresh cut grass and…” Louis’ voice trailed off. “And he does that lip touch thing when he takes photos and he has those dimples and I…”

Liam looked up at Louis expectantly. “And?”

“I like Harry.” Louis said. “Oh my god, I like Harry.”

“That was very uh, sudden.” Liam said carefully, trying not to break the fragile emotional bubble that Louis had around himself. “It’s good that you know now.”

“But what do I do with this information? He’s my neighbor, this could get ugly.” Louis worried. “What if I don’t know how to act around him anymore? What if I do something stupid like kiss him or something?” He walked around the room with kneading his hands together a little too rough and sweat forming everywhere.

“You could, hear me out.” Liam stood up and held his hands up in defense. “You could tell him how you feel.” 

Louis widened his eyes. “What? I would never…” He paused for a moment. “Would that work? What would he say?”

“I don’t know, that’s for you to find out.” Liam smiled.

“This is all so sudden.” Louis said and walked towards the door. “Well, there is the fact that I slept with him.”

“Wait you _slept_ with Harry?” Liam ran up to his door to catch up to Louis, hoping to get an answer.

“I’ll tell you later! Bye!” Louis was out the door in a second, hoping that Harry was still at the cafe. He had never rushed so fast down two flights of stairs, with the exception of that one time Louis found out his one night stand one night was a complete dickhead, and was trying to get out as fast as possible. He gripped onto a streetlight pole and swung his body so that he could turn the corner to get to the cafe.

As he slowed down at the door of the cafe, he was already searching for Harry’s familiar face. He was going to tell him. He didn’t know what was going to happen if he did, but he was going to tell him. It all seemed so sudden and on impulse, but Louis didn’t care. He has liked Harry, possibly loved him, since they met but he had been so blinded by how closeted and in denial he was every single time they were a bit too close to be friends, he didn’t realize.

He walked in and spotted Harry sitting in the back corner of the shop, far away from where they usually sit when they came in here. Harry raised his head and saw Louis. His face immediately lit up and he waved Louis over.

“Hey Lou! Over here!” Harry said, a little bit too loud for the quiet environment of the cafe. 

“Why are you sitting all the way over here?” Louis asked, then immediately regretted. He couldn’t believe that he was actually chatting when he had the biggest weight on his shoulders right now. 

“It didn’t feel right to sit in our spot when you weren’t here.” Harry explained. “So I picked another table.” Louis sat down on the seat in front of Harry and joined his fingers, resting them on the table. He was still panting slightly from the run to the cafe, and the fact that Harry used the word _our_. “So, what made you change your mind and join me?” 

“I…” Louis started, looking into Harry’s green, green eyes. His voice was trembling and his heart was pounding in his ears. “I think I might like you, possibly love you in, you know, that way.” He confessed with a light laugh to ease up the situation. Harry didn’t say anything and Louis didn’t dare to look up again. 

“It’s okay if, uh, you don’t have an answer. I can leave. See you later, uh, sorry.” Louis stuttered and tried to stand from his chair, but before he could, something pulled him down, and suddenly his face was inches away from Harry’s. Harry’s hand was on Louis’ left cheek, and he drew Louis into a kiss.

“How’s this for an answer?” Harry whispered when they pulled apart. “I love you Louis, and I always will. But in terms on a relationship… I guess we’ll have to find out.” Then they were kissing again, the cafe disappearing around their sight until all Louis could see was Harry. And after all, that is all that Louis ever needs.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! Comments and kudos are appreciated :) x


End file.
